Radamel Falcao has been a huge hit in Europe with FC Porto and Atletico Madrid (Picture: AFP/Getty)

Both clubs would demand at least £40 million each for their prized assets, but Abu Dhabi-backed Man City plan to free up some space in the club’s wage bill by offloading four strikers.

Carlos Tevez , Edin Dzeko , Emmanuel Adebayor and Roque Santa Cruz could all be put up for sale in order to fund moves for Cavani and Falcao.

Napoli face an uphill struggle to retain Uruguayan Cavani after they failed to qualify for next season’s Champions League.

But with the 25-year-old’s strike partner Ezequiel Lavezzi expected to join mega-rich Paris St-Germain, Napoli will be reluctant to sell their other main forward, while Serie A champions Juventus are also said to be interested.

Colombia’s Falcao, who has scored 108 goals in the three seasons since he left River Plate in 2009, meanwhile, only signed for Atletico Madrid last summer for £35 million and has been a huge hit at the Estadio Vicente Calderon after helping his club to the Europa League title.

The 26-year-old, who has also been linked with Real Madrid and Chelsea, is thought to agree with manager Diego Simeone that it would be in the interests of player and club for him to remain in La Liga for at least one more season.

The club’s sporting director Jose Luis Caminero underlined this stance when he told AS: ‘Falcao will remain at Atletico Madrid and any talk of an exit is misplaced.’The striker will remain with us next season and we are not considering any other possibility.’

City do have a good relationship with Atletico, however, after paying £38 million up front to sign Sergio Aguero last summer.

The club’s pursuit of Cavani and Falcao suggests Roberto Mancini’s team have given up on signing Arsenal’s Robin van Persie.